When mentioning Măng Đen, few people really talk about it because Măng Đen still retains the pristine beauty of the mountains and forests. The locals here are friendly and amiable. Truly, the photos of Măng Đen will leave travelers in awe. Măng Đen has captivated countless hearts of those who love to explore.
What does Măng Đen have to offer?
People often refer to Măng Đen as “the second Đà Lạt,” but I don’t like that comparison… perhaps because I don’t want to see this place as a copy.
Măng Đen has its own unique beauty, a land you should experience in your youth, to feel life slow down and enjoy the peaceful feeling it brings.
I like Măng Đen because it still maintains its wildness, with little interference from human hands, having a strange mix of melancholy and romance. A special place because of its truly special people.
Where is Măng Đen located?
Măng Đen, also known as Đắk Long, is a small town in Kon Plông district, Kon Tum province.I chose Măng Đen as the destination for a 3-day, 2-night trip with my group of friends. Honestly, before going, we didn’t know where Măng Đen was or how far it was, but because I had a friend there, we spontaneously decided to book a car and hotel, and just went for it.
Getting on the car and searching on Google Maps, we found it was about 600km away, okay, fine. As for what’s up there, Google didn’t provide much information, so we just decided to figure it out later. It was my first time traveling to Măng Đen without researching much about the destination, kind of like “we’re free, let’s go, or we might regret it.”
How to get to Măng Đen?
There are two types of tickets to Măng Đen
- Limousine: Ticket price 470k/way. The ride is smooth, no unpleasant odors, each passenger has a spacious private cabin with TV, massage chair, headphones, and charging sockets.
- Sleeper bus: Prices range from 220k – 250k/way. Average quality, not as good as buses from Thành Bưởi or Phương Trang, but acceptable.
2. From HCMC to Kontum then take a bus to Măng Đen
- In case you can’t get a direct ticket to Măng Đen, you can go to Kontum (more buses available) and then take bus number 6 or a passenger bus to Măng Đen
- Quỳnh Tú Bus: 0905 275 559, departs at 6:30 and 8:00
- Hưng Thịnh Bus: 0905 982 007, departs at 5:30. In case you can’t get a direct ticket to Măng Đen, you can go to
Contact some bus companies to Măng Đen
- Xe Phượng Thu (Red): Remember it’s the red Phượng Thu bus. Ticket price 220k. Book ticket: 0949 839 839. Red Phượng Thu is recommended as the most reputable bus company in Măng Đen
- Xe Phượng Thu (Green): I will explain the difference between these two bus companies later. I mistakenly booked Phượng Thu (Green) because I still had the contact from the previous trip. But on Friday afternoon when I was about to leave, the bus company called to cancel the trip and transferred the contact to another bus company to handle the group, almost missing this trip. Please note this when taking this bus. Contact the bus company: 0987790099
- Xe Tân Anh: We took the Limousine bus from this bus company. Book ticket: 0263955955
- Xe Minh Quốc: 0905823279
- Xe Việt Tân Phát: 02835118888
Tickets to Măng Đen sell out quickly, and the bus companies operate a bit erratically, so to be sure, it’s recommended to book tickets a week in advance, then remind again 3 days before, remind again on the morning before the trip, and arrive at the bus station early to collect the ticket for certainty
Weather in Măng Đen
The climate in Măng Đen is really pleasant, with temperatures around 18-25 degrees. It’s cool in the morning and evening. Even in the middle of summer, at noon in Măng Đen, although sunny, it’s not hot. Unlike Đà Lạt, I still feel the scorching sun when I go out in the afternoon in Đà Lạt. If you go to Măng Đen during this season, just prepare a sweater or hoodie. If you go in winter, you’ll need a thin wool sweater and a thicker jacket to stay warm in Măng Đen. The air is fresh, no city smog, with one of the most beautiful pine forests in Vietnam, which is probably the highlight of Măng Đen compared to other destinations with similar climates. Even in the city center, the population is sparse, with houses quite far apart.
Where to go to Măng Đen?
Going to Măng Đen offers many choices: guesthouses, budget hotels, homestays…
Homestay: I booked Toki Homestay, beautifully decorated, clean, and the staff is very friendly and lovely, rent a motorbike at the homestay: 150k/bike/day
Vui chơi tại Măng Đen:
Măng Đen is still very pristine, with not many tourist spots. The places recommended are:
1. Walking along Road 24
This is the main road in Măng Đen, from this road you can go to Măng Đen market, the statue of Mother Mary, Pa Sỹ waterfall… The road is beautiful with tall pine trees on both sides, in the early morning or late afternoon, the sunlight shines through the trees beautifully. The beginning of this clip shows us walking on Road 24.
2. Visiting the grassy hill
The grassy hill is quite far from the center of Măng Đen, you need to go to the Pa Sỹ waterfall tourist area and then go deeper into the area where the locals live. Before reaching the grassy hill, you will pass through a slightly dangerous red dirt road. Because not many people know about this place, I will leave the coordinates here for you to find. The panoramic view of the grassy hill is in this clip.
3. Statue of Mother Mary in Măng Đen
I heard that the Statue of Mother Mary here is quite sacred and famous. Most tour groups come here to pilgrimage and visit the statue of Mother Mary. The construction progress seems to be very slow for some reason. When we visited in 2017, it was still under renovation, and by 2019, it had not been repaired much. If you are religious, you should definitely visit this place.
4. Hanging bridge and the fallen tree waterfall
You can easily find the location of the Hanging Bridge and the fallen tree waterfall on Google Maps. We parked our car right on the bridge (don’t worry, it won’t get lost) and walked along a small trail to a wooden hut, then continued along a very narrow path until you reach a waterfall with a fallen tree. I’m not sure what the locals call this waterfall, so I’ll temporarily call it the Fallen Tree Waterfall. This place is perfect for a picnic, like a hidden gem.
5. Đắc Ke Lake
This location is very close to the center. Most homestays or hostels in Mang Den are near Đắc Ke Lake and you can walk around the lake. There are yellow flowers on the green grass around the lake, which seem to be the flowers of the Mang Den forest vegetables.
6. Trekking in the Mang Den Nature Reserve
7. Lô Waterfall
This location is also on Google Maps. To reach the waterfall, you will walk down a very long staircase, then wade through a long stream. It is very suitable for practicing stream crossing skills for children.
8. Pa Sỹ Waterfall
This seems to be the only paid attraction in Mang Den. When I went in October, the waterfall was flowing strongly and looked cool due to the flood, I don’t know if it has improved now.
9. Toong Đam Lake
The homestay owner suggested this destination as one of the large lakes in Mang Den. You can visit if you have time.
Mang Den may not have as many glamorous destinations as Da Lat or Sapa, but the atmosphere is very suitable for relaxation. It’s sunny during the day but still cool, and cold at night. The population is sparse, and walking alone on a road is normal. If you don’t have a guide, you can ask at the homestay for directions.
Eating in Mang Den:
This place is really surprising, the food is delicious, very suitable for the taste and the prices are very cheap, the weather is cold, everything tastes good, the dishes I really like are:
- Grilled meat: prepared at the homestay with a complete oven, in the evening, gather around to grill and enjoy, then sit in the garden to admire the night sky.
- Bamboo-tube rice with grilled chicken: Famous Aunt Sinh’s place, 1 portion + 3 large bamboo tubes of rice for 270k, excellent.
- Spicy hotpot, dried bamboo shoot salad: Mang Den Lư Quán, it’s best to order in advance because the place is always crowded, the friendly seller, the hotpot has 2 compartments, one super spicy and one normal, so remember to ask them to make it less spicy, a large hotpot with full toppings, dried bamboo shoot salad, passion fruit juice, total bill 650k.
- Ginseng stewed chicken: Tay Nguyen Quán, I ordered and they delivered to the homestay, price 320k, the chicken is black, with traditional herbs but easy to eat, not too strong, the chicken must have run 100 laps around the garden, the meat is firm, the skin is crispy:))
- Coffee, drinks: Bạch Dương coffee, beautiful, spacious, cool, styled like Coffee House in Saigon.
Mang Den 3-day 2-night itinerary from Saigon
Day 1: SG – Mang Den
- 5 PM: Arrive at Mien Dong Bus Station to get tickets to Mang Den, have a light meal before boarding the bus.
- 9 PM: The bus stops at a waiting house for dinner. If your bus stops at a waiting house with many wooden tables and large plant pots in front, remember to order the rice. 40k/portion but super full and delicious.
Day 2: Mang Den Day 1
- 6 AM: Arrive at Mang Den, leave your belongings at the homestay, walk around and rent a motorbike.
- 6 AM – 12 PM: Have snakehead fish noodle soup, visit the main attractions in Mang Den: Statue of Mother Mary, Kon Plong Village, Spring Garden Coffee, then go to the market to buy ingredients for the evening BBQ.
- 12 PM: Have Spicy Hotpot and return to the accommodation to rest.
- 3 PM: Visit Đắc Ke Lake, the hanging bridge, explore the waterfall under the bridge, visit Thac Lo waterfall.
- 6 PM: BBQ party.
Day 3: Mang Den Day 2 and return to SG
- Early morning: Walk on Road 24, go cloud hunting, visit grassy hills.
- 12 PM: Buy bamboo-tube rice and grilled chicken to eat at the homestay. Afternoon is free time, we decide to stay at the homestay to relax, read books, and slow down a bit.
- 5 PM: Bus picks up at the homestay to return to SG.
How much does it cost to go to Măng Đen?
Total cost for 3 days 2 nights: 1,800,000 VND per person, our group of 4 people, including all expenses for food, accommodation, and transportation.
Notes for visiting Măng Đen
- As it is a pristine ecological area, Măng Đen still preserves many original plant species, rich wildlife, and diverse species. Măng Đen has seven lakes and three unique waterfalls such as Đăk Ke, Pa sỹ, Lô Ba, hồ Toong Đam, Toong Zơri, Toong Pô…
- I see many people coming here by car, if possible, travel by motorbike to explore the caves, alleys, and streams to see how beautiful Măng Đen is.
- Remember to bring insect repellent or wound care, as climbing mountains and crossing streams while wearing flimsy clothes for a romantic look can lead to bruised hands and feet, and even multiple mosquito bites, be careful of blood-sucking leeches in damp areas!
